A Hymn Before Battle: Legacy of the Aldenata

With Earth in the path of the rapacious Posleen, the Galactic Federation offers help to the backward humans - for a price. You can protect yourself from your enemies, but God save you from your allies!

Definitive Ringo

This is military SF written by an author with military experience. If you judge books by PC standards, skip this one. It's violent, pro-military, pro-..Show More »US, hilarious in places, and extremely satisfying. It's thick with rank, tradition, jargon, and tactical detail, but even if you don't like that it's still worth the listen just to get to the "Immigrant Song" scene.

Gust Front: Legacy of the Aldenata

In this, the sequel to A Hymn Before Battle, Captain Michael O'Neal and his forces on Earth prepare to hold back an impending Posleen invasion.

This is CAN of Military Sci-Fiction Woop Ass!

I started reading John Ringo when he first got started. So I was excited to see most of his books going audio. This is as good as it gets. The audio b..Show More »ook does not disappoint. The narrator does it justice. I am ex-army retired and a computer weenie (26 years), and believe that John captures the flavor and essence of the military and the techie side of warfare as well..lots of action and lots of good ideas and new concepts.

When the Devil Dances: Legacy of the Aldenata

The human-eating Posleen have invaded Earth, decimating all but two North American territories. Heavily outnumbered, humans cluster close together, the possibilities of habitable space shrinking by the day. An epic battle from September 11-27, 2009, will decide the fate of humankind, and the apocalyptic decision to use nuclear weapons - heretofore banned - will alter the fate of alien and human forever.

Yea! the story continues and its even better

Well there is not much to say, I dont know if it makes sense to review a book thats the 3rd out of 4 books (or more if you count the side stories) bec..Show More »ause if you have read the first 2 then you know whats going on and why you should read this one, but here it goes.

So the story continues and its even better then I thought it would get, many if the issues I have had with the other books having side plots that go nowhere and other ones that do but dont make sense, many of those things are not here which is a good thing.

There are some things that are hinted at in the last 2 books that you know have to be going on but are not sure how its done and its sorta touched on here and really its awesome as ever - the regeneration stuff turns out is a little easier then it was thought to do and evidence that might help explain why Earth was helped to prepare its self for the war.

Hell's Faire: Legacy of the Aldenata

Hell's Faire continues Ringo's Legacy of the Aldenata series, this time pitting Major Mike O'Neal against a Posleen overlord with impressive technology looking to conquer human territories.

I WANT MORE BUN BUN!!!

Awsome military sci-fi. This time tank combat is employed in mind blowing fashion, including a mountain-sized nuclear powered tank named "Bun Bun" wi..Show More »th a giant cartoon rabbit painted on it. Hard core military action from a hard core military writer. Some of the language is a bit jargony if you aren't an ex-jar head or retired ground pounder... But it's the jargon that sets the mood. Narration is on the money. Perfect.

The Hero: Legacy of the Aldenata

The human was an expert sniper-and a psychopath. He had never failed in the past when he stalked human prey. But now he is on an enemy planet, and his prey is anything but human. The Darhel are a race with a highly developed empathic sense. Long ago, they learned that they cannot deal death to another intelligent being without being destroyed by the death agonies of their victim.

So-so

This is only a fair story overall, and poor for John Ringo. It gets VERY long in the middle. It is well written but the plot it thin in the second h..Show More »alf. If you are reading this to stay up with the Legacy of the Aldenata series you can skip this one, it is only a very small side story. Too bad I can not get a refund on an audio book.

Cally's War: Legacy of the Aldenata

Cally O'Neal, from Ringo's best seller Hell's Faire, stars in this New York Times best seller - a fast-paced interplanetary adventure that finds the trained killer locked in a battle to reclaim her lost soul.

My favorite of the spin-offs

I've read virtually all of the Legacy of the Aldenata/Posleen War books (save for The Hero, which is next), albeit somewhat out of sequence, due to a ..Show More »combination of Ringo's website being down and the Wiki article being frankly confusing. Consequently, after the initial 4 books of Mike O'Neal's main storyline, I went through all of the ancillary spin-offs prior to hitting the Cally's War storyline.

First off, let me disabuse you: this is most certainly NOT graphically racy or lewd. Yes, there are some sex scenes, but they are tastefully portrayed, and not terribly graphic in their description. Laurel K. Hamilton, George R.R. Martin, or hell, even Piers Anthony have much more graphic sex scene portrayal. Maybe I wouldn't give it to a 10 year-old, but my 13 year-old son is welcome to try his hand at it.

This book is a Posleen War cum Femme Fatale (pun intended)/James Bond espionage/spy adventure. It's a bit more fun that the others in the series, less heavy in a way, as it deals with Cally O'Neal's adult life as an agent for the Bane Sidhea, a secretive organization opposed to the Darhel. She is assigned to go undercover on Titan Base under cover of working for a Fleet Strike general, in order to determine out who's been betraying the Bane Sidhe to the Darhel.

If you're looking for more hardcore war sci-fi, with epic battles and military deployments, this is not the book for you. If, however, you want to learn more about the bad-ass Cally had emerged as by the end of Hell's Faire, and you're into the James Bond/Bourne Identity type plots, you'll dig this.

Oh, and to the other reviewer: she's rejuve'd to about 22-23, but her actual age appears to be around 50-ish. The other ages you're complaining about are flashbacks and memories, and are clearly described as such.

Sister Time: Legacy of the Aldenata

Cally O'Neal is officially dead. In her over 40 years of being an active secret agent she hasn't used her real name much less spoken to her sister. So when Michelle interrupts an important mission, by seemingly appearing out of thin air, it's an unexpected reunion...

Much better then I expected

this following Cally's War and that one not really being much of a "War" so much as its a "War in Cally's mind, or little world" I was expecting this ..Show More »one to be like that, I really liked that book but I thought it could have been more.

the book starts and ends with a scene sorta the same, Cally with her Sister, no spoiler there its the name of the book - Cally and her sister havent seen each other for many decades and while Cally was off fighting the Posleen and pretending to be dead her sister was living with the Indowy and learning there ways getting less and less human so she acts strange.

There isnt much if any Posleen here its mainly the secret group that Cally works with with her grandfather and other family members, its really much better then I thought and I was hoping it would be good since I liked the other books.

Check my other reviews if you want to see the correct order to read these in

Honor of the Clan: Legacy of the Aldenata

The Indowy "Bane Sidhe" conspiracy has grown strong, and the cunning and resourceful Darhel - tacit rulers of the Galactic Federation - have decided that the time has come to wipe that threat from the stars forever. What the Darhel don't know is that humans have joined the rebellion - led by thief and assassin extraordinaire, Cally O'Neal. Now Cally is set to destroy a web of alien deceit millennia in the making.

Essential, IF you're already a fan.

I can't understand why titles in a series are so often released out of order. Fortunately I was already familiar with both Cally's War and Sister Tim..Show More »e (the latter is STILL not available at Audible as of this writing). To be familiar with the histories of several characters, you also need to have read nearly all the other Aldenata books as well.

After accomplishing that feat, this book has a couple of serious revelations and the O'Neal vs. O'Neal climax is not to be missed. Apparently this novel sets the stage for Eye of the Storm which I hope Audible will have in the near future.

Watch on the Rhine: Legacy of the Aldenata

The invaders are coming; the Posleen, a seemingly unstoppable horde who have conquered one star system after another, literally feeding on their conquests. Earth's dubious allies, the Darhel, have given the humans a number of highly-advanced technological devices, including a process for rejuvenating the aged, including trained and proven soldiers who otherwise would be too old to fight. Rejuvenation may give a critical edge, since to survive, the Earth must use every resource at hand.

The German Perspective

Another very intertaining Legacy of the Aldenata tale. The change in location to the European continent and the perspective of Germany and its past s..Show More »ins was a great backdrop to this continuation of the story.

The Tuloriad: Legacy of the Aldenata

Of the once innumerable battle clans of the possess only a handful survive. And that on the sufferance of a group of despised Indowy and Himmit. Plucked from the maelstrom on Earth they are cast out into the eternal blackness of the stars with only a slightly insane Indowy and a computer virus to guide them.

Slow paced, a bit dull

This wasn't a horrible book, but it was surprisingly dull compared to all the other books in this series.

The 'aliens' are even more human li..Show More »ke than in the rest of Ringo's universe, to the extent they can be easily converted to human religion. To be fair, the characters are likeable and interesting.

Do NOT read this book until you've read most or all of the Aldenata series. To enjoy it at all you'll need to be pretty familiar with the Aldenata universe.

If you are a Ringo fan but can't get through the endless talking talking talking comprises most of this book, at least listen to the last five minutes, there is some interesting foreshadowing there.

Yellow Eyes: Legacy of the Aldenata

The Posleen are coming and the models all say the same thing: Without the Panama Canal, the US is doomed to starvation and defeat. Despite being overstretched preparing to defend the US, the military sends everything it has left: A handful of advanced Armored Combat Suits, rejuvenated veterans from the many decades that Panama was a virtual colony and three antiquated warships. Other than that, the Panamanians are on their own.

Earth is defended and the Posleen are gone

This is labeled as the 8th book I think but really its the 6th book - the first 4 are Hymn before the battle, Gust Front, When the Devil Dances, and H..Show More »ells Faire - after that you should read Watch on the Rhine, and then this book because they are still on Earth at this point and fighting the Posleen - then go on to the Callys War and Sister Time, and Honor of the Clan and on to The Tuloriad, then Eye of the Storm and lastly The Hero.

This sroty was started with Watch on the Rhine where the SS was brought back, that book was sorta slow on the fighting and the whole SS thing was sorta strange, this time its in Panama and there are older people getting brought back to fight and stuff.

There is some more fighting here and some really stupid parts about war crimes and stuff that make no sense to me since if its against the Posleen how is it a "war crime"? werent these laws made for Humans not creatures that eat you?

There is a really good part with one of the AID's that is just awesome to watch play out, in the end its cool how the last of the Posleen that arent fighting anymore and have given up are doing things that are sorta normal.

I would say that this is much better then Watch on the Rhine, but not as good as the first 4 - if you are reading this series and you simply love it, then you should read these at least this one and skip Watch on the Rhine if you want to there isnt any real continuation of the story from that book in this one.

Eye of the Storm: Legacy of the Aldenata

In an instant the world changed for Lieutenant General Michael O'Neal. His beloved Corps of the last remaining ACS destroyed beneath the guns of the Fleet, his staff shot before his eyes, arrested on the charge of war crimes, he faces a short, one-sided trial, a trip to the Fleet Penal Facility and a bullet to the back of the head while trying to "escape".

Nice to see Michael O'Neal back, and his daughters

If you have been checking my reviews then you know that there is a list of the correct order to read these books in, this is labeled as book 12 and th..Show More »at's actually where is belongs if you don't count "The Hero" because that's like way in the future but its labeled as book 5.

I have posted the order I think they should be read in before but here it is again, first names of the books titles only - "Hymn" "Gust" "Devil" "Hell" "Watch" "Yellow" "Tuloriad" "Cally" "Sister" "Honor" "Eye" and "Hero" - if/when the Author writes more books that take place in different places I will probably get them also and post another review with the updated order.

Now the review - it was good to see Michael O'Neal back in action again if only to be treated like crap at first, he goes on to be in charge of some really important stuff and he does a good job at it.

I was expecting to see more of the ACS here but you will find out soon that they are mostly destroyed which sucks but this book ends like there should be a few more right after this one ended, I hope that Ringo writes more of them because his work is just great only lacking in a few places but the greatness makes up for it with really funny parts that most Sci-Fi doesn't have a lot of - there is technical stuff also which is what makes things interesting, but comedy as well and that's what Ringo does best.

O'Neal is back with his daughters which is cool to see because the last time the 3 of them were together was when they were just kids like 3 and 6 years old and then there was the first 4 books if you read them then you know whats up with them not seeing each other.

This one is a must read if you are a fan of this series, The Watch on the Rhine and Yellow Eyes could be skipped but then The Tuloriad has some stuff in it you don't know about so I might have said in past reviews to skip "Watch" and "Yellow" but that's not the case now - they are slow but worth it, Yellow Eyes more so.